What Role Does Wine Play In Iranian Culture Essay

495 Words2 Pages

As a cultural marker for privilege and power, wine has retained a symbolic role in society since early civilization (Charters, 2006). Historical evidence suggests that traces of wine have been discovered in clay vessels dating back to 6000 BC in what is now known as Iran. Iran is believed to have been the original home of wine before spreading to the rest of the ancient world. As wine became more prevalent in different regions, the possession of wine held less of a symbolic meaning; instead, wine quality became the new marker of status. During this period, it was important to distinguish between “better” and “worse” wine in order to signify the position of leadership. However, wine culture has evolved drastically since then; there has been a significant shift in the social roles played by men and women. Although wine continues to act as a status symbol in the modern world, an individual’s access to the highest quality wine is no longer accorded by birth or land ownership. Instead, an individual’s achievement is perceived as the chief criterion for status. …show more content…

Extensive amounts of research in social psychology have documented the transition of women’s role in society from domestic caregivers to paid employees in the workforce (Inglehart and Norris, 2003; Kohen, 1981). The increasing convergence of gender roles left a powerful impact on women’s lives, initiating progress and presenting the with new opportunities. As women began to embrace these opportunities to attain education and employment, they started to redefine their personal goals and domestic relationships. In the process, many aspects of a women’s lifestyle have changed, such as delayed age of marriage, decreased fertility, and independent financial support (Kohen,